Shirt hold-down attachment for suspenders



May 22, 1934. E. s. MIX 1,960,229

SHIRT HOLD-DOWN ATTACHMENT FOR SUSPENDERS Filed Oct. 14, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet l May 22, 1934. E. s. MIX 1,960,229

SHIRT HOLD-DOWN ATTACHMENT FOR SUSPENDERS Filed Oct. 14, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 amend/kw fi'c/Win JJVix,

Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE SHIRT HOLD-DOWN ATTACHMENT FOR SUSPENDERS ApplicationOctober 14, 1933,. Serial No. 693,662

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a shirt hold-down attachment for suspenders.

The object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental,attractive and inconspicuous shirt hold-down attachment for suspendersadapted for grippinga shirt in two places and of exerting downward andlateral pull on the same and of thereby maintaining the bosom of theshirt in a smooth, flat and unwrinkled condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shirt hold-downattachment adapted to be manufactured as a unit in mass production andcapable of being readily attached to suspenders without necessitatingany addition to the suspenders or alteration in the constructionthereof.

With these and other objects in view,.the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forthin the claim hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, within thescope. of the claim, may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of suspenders provided with ashirt hold-down attachment constructed in accordance with one form ofthe present invention, the loop of one of the shoulder straps beingpartially broken away to show the inner end of the adjacent elasticmember.

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional View on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the metal connectinglinks.

Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in plan and partly in elevation of one ofthe metal tab or coupling 4,0 connections for the inner ends of theelastic shirt engaging members.

Fig. 4 is a detached detail view of one of the elastic shirt engagingmembers and the connecting link which connects the shoulder straps andsuspender ends.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View on the line i -4 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

5m? Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of one side of a pair ofsuspenders illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

55. Fig. 8 is a detached detail plan view of one of the elastic shirtengaging members and the connecting' plate between the shoulder straps"and suspenderends, illustrating more clearly the attachment illustratedin Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is another modified form of connection 0 between the elasticshirt holding members and a suspender connecting link.

Fig. 10 illustrates another modified form of connection between theelastic shirt holding members and a suspender connecting link.

In the accompanying drawings, and referring more particularly to Figs. 1to 5, inclusive, the reference character 1 indicates a pair ofsuspenders having shoulder straps or" elastic or nonelastic materialprovided at their front ends with loops 2 which are adjustable by meansof buckles 3 to vary the lengths of the shoulder straps.

Suspender ends 4 of any suitable character are connected with the loops2 of the shoulder straps by means of links 5 which consist, in thisinstance, of a metal plate provided with a slot 6 and a depending guide7, the loops 2 of the shoulder straps being linked into the slots 6 ofthe respective connecting links 5 in the ordinary manner.

The shirt hold-down attachment, which may be applied to varioussuspenders, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, comprises a pairof elastic members 8, each consisting of a relatively short narrow stripof elastic webbing or other suitable material having their inner endsarranged between the front and rear sides of the loops 2 of the shoulderstraps and extending upwardly from the connecting links 5 and providedat their upper or outer ends with ornamental clips 9 adapted to clip orgrip the fabric of a shirt at opposite sides of the bosom whereby theseelastic members of the hold-down attachment will exert a downward andlateral pull on the front of the shirt in two directions and willholdthe bosom ina smooth, flat and unwrinkled condition.

The inner ends of the elastic members are connected with the links 5, inthis instance, by metal or other tabs 10. These metal tabs 10 may eachbe formed from a fiat piece of thin sheet metal, as shown in Fig. 3 andeach consists of a body portion 11 having a, tapered outer end 12 bentto terminate in a hook 13 adapted to loosely embrace the inner end ofthe respective link 5 through the slot 6 of the respective link 5 and bemaintained against lateral sliding movement on the link by reason of theends of the slot 6 or by reason of said hook engaging in any one of nothe several recesses 14 in each link 5 leading to the respective slot 6and by virtue of which the tabs are concealed between the loop 2 of therespective suspender straps 1. The fiat material of each body portion 11of which the tab 10 is formed, has bendable fingers 15 and 16. The innerend of the respective elastic member 8 is folded back upon itself andthe pair of fingers 15 is bent over on the inner end of the respectiveelastic member 8 between the same and the folded over portion, said pairof fingers thereby lying between the folds of the elastic material 8 andat the bight portion of the fold. The pair of fingers 16 of therespective inner tab is bent over the two-ply thickness of materialincident to said folded inner end, whereby to securely fasten the innerends of the elastic members 8 to the respective inner tabs by bendingsaid fingers 15 and 16 over on to the inner end of the respectiveelastic member as just described. The inner end of each elastic member 8may be secured to other forms of tabs and in different ways as isevidenced by the modifications of the invention disclosed in thespecification and drawmgs.

Iabs are secured to the outer ends of the relatively short elasticmembers 8 and these tabs may consist each of a body portion 17 includingsets of bendable fingers 18 and 19 adapted to be bent over the foldedouter end of the respective elas- --tic member so as to clamp the outerend of the latter between the fingers 18 and 19 in the same manner asthe fingers 15 and 16 connect the inner ends of the elastic members 8.The outer end of each of these second mentioned tabs has "a taperedsocket 20 in which the inner end of the side element 21 of therespective clip 9 is clamped. I

The clips 9 which are preferably of an ornamental character, are eachpreferably composed of two sides 21 and 22 ofunequal length and aconnecting bend 23 located at the outer end of the clip. The longer sideof the clip has its inner end tightly clamped in the outer tapering endor socket 20 of the respective tab. This clamping of the ends of theelastic members 8 in the respective inner and outer tabs may be effectedby a pressing action or otherwise and the clips 9 may be likewisesecured in. their respective sockets at the outer tabs. The shorter side22 of each clip has its terminal portion 24: curved laterally to form aflaring entrance to a narrow space between the adjacent longitudinaledges of the sides 21 and 22 of the clip. A portion of the shirt issecurely gripped between the side edges Y 25 and 26 which are oppositelybeveled to form effective gripping portions.

When the elastic members are engaged with a shirt at opposite sides ofthe front portion there'- of, they converge upwardly and exert adownward and a lateral pull which is sufilcient to maintain the bosom ofthe flat, unwrinkled condition.

shirt in a smooth,

Inthe modification shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the inner ends ofthe elastic members 8' are secured to the connecting plate 27 by meansof tabs 28 of leather or other suitable material doubled to form innerand outer sides and a connecting lower portion, the inner ends of theelastic members 8 being secured between the sides of the tab 28 by linesof stitching 29 or other suitable means.

These tabs 28 form terminal loop portions which are linked into an upperopening 30 in the respective connecting link 27 and these said tabs inthis modified form are arranged between the inner the outer sides of theloops 2 of the shoulder straps and are concealed within the loops 2' ofthe straps 1. In this modified form the suspender ends 31 are secured inany suitable manner in the lower slot 32 of the respective link 27. Theclips 9' are secured to the outer ends of the elastic members 8' byenlarging and flattening the inner end of the longer side 21' of theclip, as at 33, and providing this enlarged portion with a transverseopening 34, the outer end of each of the elastic members 8 being passedthrough the opening 34 of the respective clip and secured to the bodyportion of the elastic member by stitching, the upper terminal of theelastic member being preferably folded inwardly as shown. The inner sideedges of the sides of the clip in this modified form of the inventionare beveled as in the first form described.

As shown in Fig. 9, the short elastic members 8" may have their tabs atthe inner ends thereof hooked into an eye 35 of the connecting link 37',a link similar to that illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive; or ifdesired, as shown in Fig. 10, the tabs at the inner ends of the elasticmembers 8" may be hooked through the upper slot or opening 30' in therespective connecting link 27 to slide from side to side of the latter.

What is claimed is:

A pair of suspenders having loops at the front ends of the shoulderstraps and provided with links connecting the loops with the suspenderends, and a shirt hold-down attachment comprising elastic membersconsisting of narrow strips of elastic material and extending upwardlyfrom the links and having their lower ends arranged between the sides ofthe loops of the shoulder straps, tabs located between the sides of theloops and concealed within the same and linked into the said links andsecured to the lower ends of the elastic strips, and clips composed oftwo sides of unequal length and a connecting top portion, the longerside being secured at its lower end to the elastic member and theshorter side curved laterally to form a flaring entrance space toreceive the fabric of a shirt, said elastic members being adapted toexert a downward pull on the. shirt in two directions, whereby the bosomof the shirt is held in a smooth, fiat, unwrinkled condition.

EDWIN S. MIX.

